There’s that saying that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. It’s very apt, but have you ever thought about what a glass house might actually look like?
One family decided to take a bit of a creative risk when they were designing their house. They wanted to make it entirely out of glass. It’s a bold choice, but it may have paid off.
The Gunnarsson house is located out in the countryside among rolling fields.
In upstate New York, this family built their house. When they look outside, they see fields for miles and even some cows. It’s a truly gorgeous landscape, and the scenery even helped with designing the house.
Because a glass house is so transparent, the designers situated the house so that the hills and trees would serve to block the walls a bit and create privacy beyond the property. It’s a sneaky way to have the beautiful effect of a glass house, but not lose all your privacy. Also, the first floor is made of stone. That’s where the bedrooms are, so there are ways to get alone time.
While there isn’t a direct or clear inspiration, living inside a glass house creates a totally different vibe.
Carolina Gunnarsson is an entrepreneur originally from Sweden, who moved her family to upstate New York. She lives in the house, and was part of its design process. In a video from CNN Business, she says:
“It reminded me a lot of where I grew up in Sweden. There’s this whole different sense of freedom and space and openness.”
The house is intended to blend into its surroundings.
From an aerial view, you can see that the roof of the house is covered in greenery. The paneling and sides of it are also subtle enough, and the glass reflects back a lot of the outdoors. This all helps it seem like a part of nature, and not an obstruction to nature.
Opinions on this house are divided.
The YouTube comments reveal that not everyone is on board with the glass house idea. One person writes:
“No way in hell am I ever living in this. Imagine trying to get from your bathroom to bedroom in a towel with neighbors watching you with binoculars! How safe will be your family, especially kids from criminals. And to top that off, your AC will have to work non-stop because of the greenhouse effect and will be paying energy bill through your nose and keeping the glass clean!!!! Yikes!!!!”
However, other people are into the idea. Someone else comments:
“I stayed at a glass house on a lake once and it was the most peaceful, tranquil experience. There’s something about observing nature from your living space that makes you feel so connected. It was heaven.”
Would you want to live, or even spend a night in a house like this?
It’s certainly a bold architectural choice. While some people might shudder at the thought of feeling so exposed, others might love the difference of perspective that living in here might create.
Get a closer peek at the glass house in the video below!
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